After reaching a club season record with 71 wins this past week the Rays could potentially hit a skid and begin a downhill tumble. The injury storm has swirled into Tampa taking out Carl Crawford and rookie of the year candidate Evan Longoria. Can a 4 game lead keep the Rays shining atop the A.L. East?

I feel bad for the Rays at this point. It seems that all of the work they put in early on could fall apart if the injury bug doesn’t go away. Running away from teams like the Red Sox and Yankees could be too much to ask. Not to mention with around a month and a half remaining in the season the Rays will have to play a third of their remaining games against these A.L. East powerhouses.

Manager Joe Maddon should easily win the skipper of the year award if the Rays are still playing ball after September 30th. His patience with these young kids has taken center stage as the ball club continues to set franchise marks by the week.

How long can this run hold up for the Rays? Will we see them take a dive immediately with Crawford and Longoria out or can we expect them to compete for a playoff spot? I honestly think the Rays will be in this till the first or second week of September. A slip up will probably surface after that mainly due to their lack of experience in these situations.

Now don’t get me wrong, I would be the first person in line to see the Rays make it to the playoffs; however at this point with these key injuries it doesn’t seem likely. Crawford and Longoria provide power, speed, and excellent defense; multiple attributes that all need to be on the field if you want to take out Boston and New York in September.